Package



Dec. 12, 1944. P. oc. WHITE PACKAGE Filed Nov.. 10, 1938 V fl 1 v .uu 11 1 Fufl 11. 1 l 1 1 1 ATTORNEYa Patented Dec. 12, 1944 menses Philipo'o. White, Chicago, ni, assignor to White Cap Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation-wot Delaware Application November 10, 1938, Serial No.239,845

2 Claims.

erally dispensed from the original receptacles at the table, it is quiteimportant that the package be hermetically sealed in the first instance,so that the contents will be properly preserved against contaminationand fermentation, and that it be susceptible to re-sealing, withfacility to prevent evaporation or leakage after it has been openedinitially. Also, it is of importance, for protection of the materialagainst contamination or evaporation after the package has been openedby the user, that the closure be of a character such that it may beremoved and replaced with facility incident to the dispensing of aportion of the material, and that when it is replaced, it efiectivelycover the mouth of the receptacle and stay in place with suflicientcertainty or security to permit the receptacle to be handled freely. Itis quite generally observed that very little care is exercised by usersin replacing the closure after' pouring out some of the material,and'that if the operation of putting it back on requires the exercise ofany particular accuracy or effort, it is usually left ofi or appliedimproperly and insecurely.

It is one of the general objects of the present invention to provideapackage or packing container which is stoppered by means of a closurein the nature of a cap, and which is of a character such that,; in thefirst instance at least, it may be sealed on the receptacle hermeticallyand very securely by simple downward pressure which may be accomplishedrapidly by automatic machinery, and which may be removed with facilityin the first instance and thereafter re-applied with very littleeffortto re-seal the receptacle air tight,,or to form an effective closure andprotection for the mouth of the receptacle and retain its place thereonwith adequate security although not re-sealed air tight thereon.

Another object is the provision of a package or packing container of thecharacter specified and wherein the closure, in the nature of a metalcap or the like, is effectively safeguarded against scratching orabrasion by the mouth of the vessel incident to the operation ofapplying or sealing it thereon in the first instance, or subsequently,thus protecting the metal of the cap shell against oxidation and themouth of the receptacle against discoloration or fouling whichordinarily results from such oxidation of a metal cap.

Other and further objects of the invention will be pointed out orindicated hereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in the artupon an understanding of this specification or employment of the devicein use.

For purpose of aiding in an explanation of the invention, I show in theaccompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, andhereinafter describe, certain embodiments of the invention in a packageand packing container in the nature of a capped bottle or the like, suchas may be suitable for the packaging of catsup or sauces. It is to beunderstood, however, that these examples are here presented merely forpurpose of illustration and are not to be construed in any fashion forthe purpose of limiting the appended claims short of the true and mostcomprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the upper portion of apacking container showing the closure in place on the receptacle in therelationship .wherein the package is hermetically sealed;

Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the closure cap in place onthereceptacle but in a relationship wherein there is no compressed sealingbetween the two;

Fig. 3 is'a vertical section of one form of closure cap which may beemployed in the invention, showing same on an enlarged scale; a

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the mouth or upper portion of areceptacle, in the nature of a bottle, showing one form of contour orfinish of the parts which may be employed in the package embodying theinvention; and

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but showing the closure ina canted position on the receptacle, and serving to illustrate thefashion in which the two cooperate toiprevent abrasion of the interiorsurfaces of the'closure shell by the mouth portion of the receptacle.

The nature of the invention will be most quickly ascertained from adetailed description of the embodiments shown in the drawing. which isas follows. a

The reference numeral l0 designates a receptacle, in the nature of 'abottle, jar or the like.

' suitable for the packaging of various materials which it may bedesired to seal and preserve in 85 air-tight condition in the firstinstance and disin cooperation with a suitable closure.

ing of the package. This receptacle has mouth portions specially formedfor definite purposes As illustrated more fully in Fig. 4, the mouthportion of the receptacle is formed or finished with a peripheralsealing surface H, of approximately cylindrical form, extendingcompletely around the receptacle and disposed at a suitable eleva-.

tion above a peripherally outstanding shoulder or ledge l2; Portions ofthe material between the sealing surface H and ledge l2 are recessed orundercut, as at M, to form a peripheral groove or channel. From theupper limit of the cylindrical sealing surface II, the periphery of thecontainer isoffset inwardly and upwardly in the form of a rounded orbeveled shoulder 15, and, from the limit of this shoulder portion, theperiphery of the container continues upwardly as an approximatelycylindrical lip portion l6, which 20 is of substantial height,materially exceeding the height of the sealing surface H, and rounded orbeveled inwardly at its upper terminus at H, to the top rim l8 of thereceptacle mouth. All of said peripheral surfaces are substantiallycircular on planes perpendicular to the axis of the re- "ceptacle mouth.

A closure cap suitable for sealing cooperation with the vessel mouth isprovided, and may be of the form illustrated in Fig. 3. This includes ashell, which may be pressed from sheet metal, such as tin-plate, havingsuitable ductility and the proper stiffness to hold its shape in use,and which is formed with a top portion 20, of circular contour, anddepending skirt portion 2| extending downwardly from the periphery ofthe top portion in approximately cylindrical form and merging into aflaring skirt portion 22 toward form. This gasket is normally ofsomewhat 50 larger diameter than the interior of the skirt portion 22,but is circumferentially compressed and inserted into the shell in suchposition that it rests against the flaring skirt portion 22 and extendsslightly within and close to the cylindrical skirt portion 2|.

The lower portion of the shell skirt is notched to provide a pluralityof serrations or prongs 25,

and these are curled inwardly and upwardly and embedded in the lowerportion of the gasket, so that it is securely fastened to the shell atits lower end. Due to its form and elastic character and the form of theshell, the orifice of the gasket takes an upwardly contracting orconverging shape. The thickness of the gasket materially exceeds theclearance between the skirt portion 2| and the sealing surface II, andin its lower portion, the gasket is somewhat thickened or fattened byvirtue of the intrusion of the prongs 25'into it.

In the original closing of the package, that is the, original sealing ofthe closure upon the receptacle after the latter has received itscontents, and either with or without displacement pense a portion at atime after the initial openis telescoped onto the receptacle mouth sothat the lip portion I6 is introduced within the orifice of the gasket.The relative diameters of these parts are such that the lip portion itenters free- 1y until the shoulder part l5 contacts the gasket,

as illustrated for example in Fig. 2. Then, upon application of sumcientdownward pressure to the top ofthe closure, it isforced furtherdownwardly onto the receptacle, with the result that 10 the elasticgasket is wedged outwardly along the shoulder l5 and the sealing surfaceI I, and highly compressed between the sealing surface and the skirtportion of-the shell. Incident to-this operation, the g sket iselongated upwardly somewhat,

the downward movement of the closure being finally limited by contact ofits top portion against the rim l8 of the receptacle in the positionillustrated in Fig. 1. I

As a result of these sealing operations, the gasket is very tightlycompressed between the sealing surface H and against the surroundingportion of the shell skirt, which acts as a constraining member, thegasket thereby forming a hermetic seal between the shell and the sealingsurface I I and, due to its high compression, filling all irregularitiesin the surfaces of those parts so that a completely air-tight closure isformed. As a consequence, the closure is very securely retained on thereceptacle by the frictional and gripping action of the compressedgasket, and the contents of the receptacle are completely protectedagainst contamination or ingress of air, even though the pressure withinthe head space of the sealed package may be very much below as theexternaT'atmospheric pressure.

By suitable manipulation, however, the opening of the hermeticallysealed package may be accomplished with comparative case. This is doneby placing a prying implement, such as the mar-,

gin of a coin, the back of a knife or the like, between the lower marginof the skirt 22 and the ledge I2, and prying upwardly'against theclosure, using the ledge as a fulcrum. 'The prying pressure may beapplied progressively at various points around the package until theclosure. is

moved upwardly enough to release the elastic gasket from compressionbetween the sealing surface. II and the skirt of the shell, andthereupon the closure may be lifted off quite freely.

The closure may be re-applied in a fashion to form an air-tight seal onthe receptacle, by press,-

'ing it downwardly thereon with sufilcient force to intrude the sealingsurface within the gasket, as in the first instance. However, inasmuchas this may-require more effort than the average" person might beinclined to apply to it. at the dining table, I have designed the partsso that the closure may be put back on very easily and simply, in afashion such that it will form an effective stopper to protect the mouthof the receptacle, in which disposal it will hold its place withsufiicient security to permit its being handled with freedom. Suchapplication is accomplished simply by placing the closure on the mouthof the vessel in the position illustrated in Fig. 2. In this operationthe lip portion l6 passes through the gasket to a sumcient distance toretain the closure securely against toppling or slipping ofi, thecontact ofrthe upper portion of the gasket with the lip portion l6affording a certain amount of holding friction. By the exertion of evenslight pressure on the top of the closure, the

gasket may be forced to a greater or less extent downwardly on thesloping shoulder Hi, to create of air from the unoccupied'head space,the closure additional binding or holding ompr io One important featureof the constructionlis illustrated in Fig. 5. Where metal closure capsor shells are used for the sealing of sauces containing acids, such asvinegar, or various other- I the metal, with the result that darkcolored oxides may be formed on the inner portions of the shell.

1 When this comes off on the'mouth of the receptacle, it forms adispleasing coloration and suggests that the contents may becontaminated.

Such abrasion or scratching of the lacquer inside the shells of closurecaps is very likely to occur in the operation of applying or sealing theclosures on the receptacles, if portions of the receptacle which enterthe shell are permitted to rub against its inner surfaces. The presentconstruction avoids the possibility of such abrasive contact of thereceptacle mouth with the shell, by virtue of the fact that the gasket24 extends inwardly a suificient distance to function as,a limitingbuffer which will prevent the canting of the shell to a position whereany part of the lip portion of the receptacle will contact the skirt ofthe shell. This is illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein the "location of theclosure in the maximum the farthest canted position in which the mouthcan enter the shell is shown in dotted lines,

wherein it will be seen that the mouth portion cannot contact the shellskirt.

It will be ascertained from the foregoing that the package is of simplecharacter and may be manufactured economically by customary procedure,and that the parts may be assembled and sealed together by meansofautomatic apparatus now quite extensively used in the packingindustry.

It is also to be observed that the closure, or the receptacle, or both,may bemodified in form or in various other particulars without departingfrom the spirit or character of the invention.

What I claim is: Y

1. In a packing container, a receptacle having a mouth at its upper endand an approximately cylindrical peripheral sealing surface ofsubstantial axial xtent spaced below its mouth and an annular lipportion of smaller external diameter than said cylindrical sealingsurface extending upwardly from the latter to the mouth rim, theperiphery of said receptacle being formed with an outwardly slopingshoulder between said lip portion and the upper extremity of saidcylindrical sealing surface; and a closure cap shell having a topportion and a depending annular skirt formed with an approximatelycylindrical upper part adapted to surround in spaced relation theretosaid lip and sealing surface, and a downwardly flaring lower part belowsaid cylindrical upper part; and a sleeve gasket of elastic-"sealingmaterial extending upwardly in the shell in contracting form along theinner surface of the skirt with its upper end spaced from the top of theshell and its lower end fastened to the lower end of the skirt; thecylindrical part of the skirt being of depth sumcient to receive boththe lip portion and a substantial area of "the sealing surface of thereceptacle when the closure is fully seated on the receptacle, and theportion of the gasket within, the cylindrical part of the skirt being oflesser internal diameter than the exter-.

gasket, thereby frictionally securing the closure on the receptacle bythe constrictive gripping action of the gasket and forming an hermeticseal between them; the lip portion of the receptacle being of diameterand height such as to pass freely through the orifice of the gasket intothe cylindrical part of the shell and retain the closure againsttoppling off of the receptacle when it is resting loosely thereon withthe gasket bearing on the sloping shoulder but out of sealing en- 4gagement with the sealing surface.

2. In a packing container, a combination as specified in claim 1 andwherein the gasket is of thickness and height suflicient to prevent theinner surface of the shell skirt contacting the lip portion of thereceptacle when the closure is in any canted position thereon.

- PHILIP OC. WHITE.

Patent No. 2,; 61;,6'78Q CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION- December 12, 19M.PHILIP o'c. WHITE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification:of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3,first column 1111a 5., strike out the words "enter the shell" end insertinstead -pass through the gasket"; andthet the said Letters Patentehould be read with this correction therein that the same may conform tothe record of the case in the Patent Office. 1

Signed and sealed this 20m da'y orna'ren, A. 1). 191$.

Leslie Frazer (56,11) j Acting Commissions iot Patents

